Fall for You
by othobsessed2
Summary: Lucas has Brooke. Peyton has Jake. Yet they can't seem to stay away from each other.
1. Chapter 1

Peyton Sawyer stared at her sketchpad, blonde curls falling over her eyes. The picture staring back at her terrified her more than anything, for the picture that was supposed to be of Jake and Jenny had somehow turned into yet another drawing of Lucas Scott. Lucas, the one person who turned her world upside down and set it straight at the same time. The boy who was dating her best friend, the boy who may only see her as an easy target. And yet she couldn't take her eyes away.

…

Lucas Scott, all-star Ravens basketball player, stood at his locker, looking at the picture of him and Brooke taken just a few weeks ago. It hung on the inside of the door for everyone at Tree Hill High School to see. They looked so happy, smiling at the camera while locked in a warm embrace. Only Lucas really knew the truth though, that the picture was a lie.

"Hey, superstar, I missed you," Brooke came up behind him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"You just saw me yesterday," Lucas laughed and turned to hug her. Brooke reciprocated, taking any chance she got to rub it in all the girls' faces that she was Lucas Scott's girlfriend.

"I know, but you usually call. I really could have used some help on that English essay," she said suggestively.

"Yeah, you could've used some help all right. I'm sorry, I just got a little busy," Lucas tried to hide the guilt in his eyes, not telling her why he was busy.

"It's fine. Now walk me to class," Brooke said casually, linking her arm in his and guiding him to her first period. When they reached room 205, Lucas leaned down and kissed Brooke on the cheek and hurried to his own class, room 310.

When Lucas entered the doorway, Peyton's head sprung up, her hair bouncing in the process, as she shoved her sketchpad back into her canvas shoulder bag. Lucas smiled and snagged the seat next to her.

"I'm sorry," they both said simultaneously to each other, then laughed.

"But really, I shouldn't have done that. I mean, you have Brooke and I have Jake," she said, while not meeting Lucas' eyes.

"Don't blame yourself, Peyton. This is my fault," Lucas covered her hand with his.

"It takes two people, Lucas," she said and jerked her hand away.

"Hey, hey, calm down," Lucas said soothingly while stroking her back.

"I'm sorry. I'm just under a lot of stress what with helping Jake with Jenny and school," she trailed off, glancing up at the front board.

He took this as a hint to end the discussion, but Lucas couldn't take his eyes off of her. He loved the way her mouth pursed when she was thinking, the way her handwriting looked when she was feeling drained and worn out and the way that handwriting was different from when she was relaxed and at ease. He couldn't help but have feelings for her, even though he knew what he was doing was wrong. What he saw when he looked at Peyton wasn't lust or passion or intrigue. It was one thing.

Love.


	2. Chapter 2

Brooke walked into the cafeteria at lunchtime, holding her brown paper bag. She scanned the room, looking for a familiar face. She found Peyton sitting all alone, staring at her sketchpad, and began walking towards her.

"Okay, so this bra is totally rubbing me the wrong way," Brooke said while sitting down across from Peyton and readjusting her top. Peyton looked up and closed her sketchpad as quickly as possible, praying that Brooke hadn't seen what the picture was.

"That's great, Brooke. Now how is that thong fitting you?" Peyton said sarcastically.

"My thong? That's excellent! So how has your day been so far?" the brunette asked.

"It's been boring. I had chemistry this morning and then I had to sit through another lecture on Shakespeare. I thought I was gonna stab my eyes out," Peyton answered calmly, leaving out the parts about Lucas and the way his eyes always seemed to find hers. Peyton hoped Brooke didn't suspect anything.

"My day hasn't been too great either. I can never pay-" Brooke began before being cut off by a quick kiss on the cheek. She looked up and smiled. "Hey boyfriend! I can't believe it's been three hours since I saw you last. Sit down!."

Lucas tentatively pulled out the chair next to Brooke, eyeing Peyton as he glided into the seat. Peyton took note of this and knew it wouldn't be too long before she couldn't restrain herself. She would have to get out of this cafeteria before her body leaped across the table and her lips just happened to land on Lucas' perfect mouth.

"Excuse me. I don't feel very well," Peyton said quickly and grabbed her bag hastily. She ran out of the cafeteria, stopping by the bathroom on the way to her locker. Peyton looked in the dirty mirror and felt her eyes sting with tears. All she could see when she looked at herself were words like cheater, traitor, and backstabber. Peyton knew that she was better than this, better than Lucas. She felt warm, salty water spill onto her cheeks. This thing with Lucas, whatever it was, had to stop.

Peyton wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and walked out of the bathroom only to find Lucas standing there. "What do you want?" Peyton asked, her voice raw from crying.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Lucas whispered, cupping her chin in his hands and wiping away a stray tear.

"I'm fine, I just can't be in the room with you if she's there," she said, refusing to meet his eyes. "Why did you follow me? She's gonna start suspecting things."

"I'll take care of it. But Peyton, you have to understand. That kiss last night was so amazingly perfect and it felt so right. I've never felt that way with a girl before. When can I see you again?" Lucas asked pleadingly.

"You can't. I don't want to hurt Brooke. It's not fair to her or Jake. I'm ending it," Peyton said slowly and began to walk away. Lucas ran after her and grabbed her arm. She turned around and locked eyes with him. At that moment, she knew. She knew there was no way she could ever live without him and that she pictured them together for the rest of their lives. She also knew that she had to accept those feelings and that it would be a long road.

Peyton's body went loose as she allowed Lucas to hold her and they stood like that, not talking, but listening to each other's heartbeats as they slowly melted together and became one continuous sound. They didn't pull away until the warning bell rang, and he quickly kissed her on the lips before turning to find Brooke. Peyton could've sworn she heard him whisper three short words into her ear before he pulled away. Those three words that meant everything.

…

That night, Peyton tossed and turned, her body aching for Lucas' soft touch. She told herself to go to sleep and to forget about Lucas, which was impossible. He was everywhere and she couldn't escape him.

The phone rang, giving Peyton a start and she shot up from her bed. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Brooke calling. _Oh great_, she thought, pressing the talk button.

"Hey, Brooke. I just thought that you should know that it's two in the morning," Peyton said sleepily.

"I know and I'm really sorry. I was trying to tell you this earlier at lunch, but Lucas walked in and I don't want him to know yet," Brooke said worriedly.

"You can tell me anything, Brooke."

"I missed a period, Peyton. And I'm really scared," Brooke cried. Peyton could hear her best friend sobbing and knew that it was Lucas. It made her heart stop.

"Brooke, baby, you have nothing to be scared of. Lucas will support you through everything. You couldn't possibly be having a baby with a better man. I'll take you to the doctor tomorrow to see if you really are pregnant and then you're gonna have to tell Lucas. There's no getting around it," Peyton soothed.

"I know and Lucas is going to be an amazing father. I just don't think I'm ready to be a mother at seventeen."

"You will be the greatest mother to that baby boy or girl because of the love in your heart. You're going to do fine, Brooke. You and Lucas will both do great."

"Thanks, Peyton. I'm going to go, so I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Okay, goodnight," Peyton said even though Brooke had already hung up. She put the phone on her nightstand and rolled over. A single solitary tear rolled down her cheek and landed on her bed, making no sound. That tear represented her life, the loss she was going through. The loss that no one would hear about. The loss that wouldn't make a sound. Peyton was going to lose her one true love. Lucas Scott was no longer her special place, her comfort. He could not be Peyton's shelter from the world. He had a new role to fill and Peyton wasn't sure if she could handle it.


	3. Chapter 3

"Good morning, sunshine!" Jake came up behind Peyton and wrapped her in a hug. He smiled down at her and thought to himself how lucky he was to have a girl like her. Peyton is the kind of girl who always listens, wants to help those around her and, most importantly, she was always honest. She never worried if what she said would hurt somebody. She said it anyway, because Peyton couldn't stand to live a lie. Jake was so thankful Peyton had walked into his life and Jenny couldn't have been happier. Jake wanted Peyton to adopt Jenny and to be her legal mother, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell Peyton that. He would wait another month and then tell her what he's always wanted for his baby girl, a mother who loves her unconditionally.

Peyton smiled back at Jake, feeling safe in his arms. She was just about to start speaking when Lucas walked by, head bent down. He glanced over at Peyton, and she could see tears staining his cheeks. She stood with her mouth open for what had to be a full minute. _Brooke told him already_, she thought to herself. She was momentarily paralyzed in that position, unable to move until finally Jake called her back into reality.

"Hey, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost," Jake stroked her arm and looked at her with concerned eyes.

"I think I did," Peyton breathed, feeling her world collapse inward. She excused herself and left Jake standing there, dumbfounded. She ran through the hallways, searching for Lucas, needing to find him. She pushed open the double doors at the end of the hallway, the light serving as clarity. She saw Lucas leaning against a wall.

Peyton walked up to Lucas and he didn't move. He kept his head bent down and slowly started to speak.

"I never meant for this to happen," Lucas said through gritted teeth. His tears were now absent, replaced by anger. Peyton felt so helpless.

"Lucas," she whispered as she began to cry. She pulled him into an embrace and they both silently cried together. Peyton knew, of course, that they could no longer be together. It was done and that was the end of it. There would be no second guessing and no changes of heart. Lucas and Peyton could not see each other anymore.

Lucas pulled away and stared at Peyton, seeing in her eyes exactly what they were both thinking. Lucas swung around, his fist hitting the wall, and he didn't care about the pain. Nothing hurt more than losing Peyton.

…

"Brooke!" Peyton shouted, finding her at her locker at the end of the day. "What the hell were you thinking? Why did you tell him already? You weren't even sure!"

"Listen, I'm under enough stress as it is without you shouting at me! It slipped out!" Brooke stared at Peyton, curious as to why she cared more about Lucas than her.

"What if you're not pregnant? What if you freaked him out over nothing?" Peyton was still angry, not lowering her voice.

"What is wrong with you, Peyton? You're supposed to be my friend and support me! And for your information, I'm definitely having a baby! There's no doubt about it!" Brooke turned to her locker and grabbed a book.

"I do support you, believe me. And I'm going to be there for you every step of the way! But he's not ready," Peyton said, finally calming down.

"He said that? To you?" Brooke couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why would he tell Peyton?

"Yes, Brooke. We're friends, that's all," she assured her, sensing the wariness in her voice. "But he will be. When that baby comes, Lucas will be the happiest person on the planet. I know it."

"Thanks, P. Sawyer. So you got my back?"

"Yeah, I got your back."


	4. Chapter 4

Peyton sat in her room, looking through some old records. She heard a knock at the door and looked up to see Jake standing in the doorway with Jenny. She instantly smiled seeing Jenny's cute face.

"Well, hello there!" Peyton said as she reached for Jenny. Jake handed her over and sat down on her bed. Peyton bounced the baby girl and cooed at her. Jake smiled and knew that it was right. Since Nikki was out of the picture for good, the adoption was legal and all that was left was for Peyton to sign the papers. Peyton would be the best mother for Jenny and Jake couldn't wait until it was official.

"I need to ask you something, Peyton. It's kind of a big deal so if you don't want to say yes, that's okay," Jake said.

"Okay, shoot."

"How would you feel about adopting Jenny?" he asked with a smile. He looked at Peyton and saw that she didn't look nearly as happy as Jake felt.

"I don't know what to say," Peyton managed to get out with a stunned expression on her face. "That's a really big step that I don't think I'm ready to take."

Jake couldn't hide his disappointment. He thought Peyton would be thrilled at the idea. She seemed to love Jenny so much, it just made sense that she would want to be her mother. Peyton already acted like Jenny's mother anyway. Why didn't she want the same things that Jake wanted?

"I thought you loved Jenny," Jake said.

"I do love Jenny! Jake, it has nothing to do with love!" Peyton was surprised at how upset he was.

"Then why did you say no?"

"I'm not ready to be a mom! How can you seriously expect me to be ready for that kind of commitment?" Peyton was on the verge of tears.

"I thought you loved me too, but I guess I was wrong," Jake took Jenny out of Peyton's arms and began to walk out the door.

"Jake, stop acting like this! You know I love you! Why are you treating me like I'm such a bad person just because I don't want to adopt Jenny? I still love her and you just the same!"

Jake turned around and looked at Peyton. She was right, he was being ridiculous. How could he hate Peyton just because she wasn't ready to adopt Jenny? That was a big step and a huge expectation. He just never imagined she'd say no.

"I'm sorry I freaked out on you. I shouldn't have expected you to automatically say yes. And obviously you still care about Jenny," Jake apologized.

"Thank you for seeing that. And I'm sorry that I'm not ready. There's just a lot going on with Brooke and I really need to be there for her right now."

"I understand completely. I love you," he set Jenny down on the bed and enveloped Peyton in a huge hug.

"I love you too," Peyton said into Jake's chest. For a second, she actually believed herself.

…

"Hello?" Lucas sleepily answered the phone on Saturday morning.

"Lucas, it's Brooke. Are you awake?"

"I am now. What's up?" Lucas sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. He looked at the clock, not believing that it read five minutes past eight.

"I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for nine o'clock. They're just going to be doing some blood work, making sure the baby is on the right track and everything. I was just wondering if maybe you would like to come with me."

"Of course, Brooke! It's my baby, too! Why wouldn't I want to be there?" Lucas grabbed a shirt and slipped it over his head.

"Well, you didn't seem all too thrilled when I first told you about the baby," Brooke said calmly.

"I'm feeling more prepared now. I just needed a couple of days to let it all sink in."

"I'm glad you're ready now. I'll see you there," Brooke said as she hung up the phone, feeling much better about the situation with Lucas. She got into her car and drove to the doctor's office.

When she got there, she was shocked to see Lucas already waiting out front. Maybe he really was ready for this baby.

"I already checked you in and the doctor will be ready in a few minutes," Lucas said, grabbing her hand and leading her inside. They found two open chairs and sat down. Brooke leafed through a magazine with a very pregnant woman on the cover. She looked down at her own belly and felt a sense of joy. There was an actual baby growing inside of her.

"Brooke Davis?" a woman in her late thirties called. Brooke and Lucas stood up and followed the woman to the doctor's office.

"I presume you to be the father," she said, gesturing at Lucas. He nodded. "Okay, tell me, Brooke. You missed a period, correct?"

"Yes, and so I took a home pregnancy test and it came out positive. So I called this office and they said I needed to get some tests run to make sure the baby was developing properly."

"Okay, sounds good. I'll just take some of your blood and we'll get the results in around half an hour." The doctor smiled and prepared Brooke for the tests. After they were finished, Brooke and Lucas waited in the lobby for their names to get called again. Once they were called they followed the doctor back into the small room and waited patiently for the results.

"There seems to be a slight problem," she said. Brooke's face fell and Lucas gripped onto her hand tighter.

"The home test was inaccurate, Brooke. You're not having a baby."


	5. Chapter 5

Brooke furiously exited the doctor's office, wiping tears from her cheeks as she stormed towards her car

Brooke furiously exited the doctor's office, wiping tears from her cheeks as she stormed towards her car.

"Brooke, slow down. It's not that big of a deal," Lucas chased after her.

She did not slow down, nor did she turn around to acknowledge his comment. She could not have been more angry at Lucas Scott at that moment than at any other moment. He was actually happy when the doctor told her she wasn't having a baby. It's like he doesn't even care about being with Brooke and starting a life with her.

"Look, I screwed up. But I thought you would be relieved that you weren't having a baby," Lucas tried to explain, which didn't work. Brooke wasn't hearing any of it. She finally got to her car, unlocked the door, and turned around.

"Lucas, you said this time would be different. You said you would love me unconditionally and that whatever happened you would be there for me. That's why I decided to go out with you again, because that's what you said! But you lied again. What else are you lying about?"

"Brooke, please listen to me. I love you and you mean the world to me. And I'm sorry about the baby. I mean, that sucks. But were either of us even ready?"

"I was," Brooke said bitingly and climbed into her car. Lucas quickly ran to the other side and hopped into the passenger side. "Get out of my car, Lucas!"

"No! Not until you listen to me!" Lucas yelled.

"Alright fine, say what you have to say."

"When you told me about the baby, I'll admit I was scared. I was terrified that we would end up like Dan and my mom. I didn't want that for us, Brooke. But then I got to thinking, maybe this baby thing could work after all. I was starting to get excited, but there's still reality. And the reality is that we couldn't have done it. We weren't ready."

Brooke had started crying again during Lucas' speech. She refused to look at Lucas.

"Hey, pretty girl, what's wrong?" Lucas soothed as he stroked her arm.

"I'm just trying to imagine that if you were to have a baby with Peyton, you would be the happiest guy in the world. When it's me, all you say is that you're not ready. If it was her, you would have been ready."

"That's not true. It wouldn't matter who was having the baby, I still couldn't handle it. I'm too young. But Brooke, I love you."

"Yeah, you keep saying that and the more you do the less I believe it," Brooke gripped the steering wheel while Lucas stared at her with a stunned expression. "Get out of my car, Lucas!"

Lucas agreed this time, not putting up with Brooke's craziness for any longer. He gladly opened the door and walked to his own car. He started driving and before he realized it, he was headed to Peyton's house.

"Knock, knock," Lucas called and Peyton looked up at him. She couldn't help but smile when she saw him. Lucas sat next to her on the bed and smiled for the first time all day. Brooke was right, if it had been Peyton, he would have been ecstatic.

"Brooke's not having a baby," Lucas told Peyton.

"Are you serious? But we got into this fight where she swore she was. She's not pregnant?" Peyton said, confused.

"No! Isn't this good news?" Lucas wrapped Peyton into a hug, feeling her warmth against him. Peyton agreed, but it was unheard since her face was in his chest. Still, she didn't want to pull away.

She remembered what happened with Jake and let go of Lucas. "Jake asked me to adopt Jenny today."

Lucas was surprised. "What did you say?"

"I said no, but that I still loved Jenny."

"Do you love him, Peyton? It's okay if you do," Lucas asked her.

Peyton didn't know how to answer this. She did love Jake, but she loved Lucas more. She couldn't picture her life without Lucas. She wanted everything with Lucas, marriage, kids, happiness. She even wanted the bad stuff with him, because they could get through it together. Peyton needed Lucas by her side, forever. "Yeah, I guess I do. But I love you, Lucas."

"I know you do," he smiled and leaned in to kiss her. Peyton kissed him back and soon they were horizontal on the bed. A thought occurred to Peyton at that moment. Brooke would be here at any moment to tell her about the non-pregnancy. If Lucas was here, something bad would happen.

"Lucas, you have to leave," she said as she gently pushed him away.

"Because of Brooke?"

"Yeah, because of Brooke."

"I'll come tomorrow," he said suggestively. Peyton smiled and kicked him in the butt playfully to get him out of the door. Lucas laughed and walked down the stairs. He was walking out the front door when he came face to face with Brooke. His smile slowly faded.

…

**Author's note: **Thanks to everyone who has read my story and reviewed it! It is so great to hear that you guys like it! Keep up the reviews! Anyway, I'll be out of town from Thursday to Sunday so you won't hear anything from me during that time. Tell me what you want to see in the next couple of chapters and I'll try to make it happen! Thanks again!


	6. Chapter 6

"Lucas," Brooke whispered on the verge of tears.

"Brooke, this isn't what it looks like."

"Then what is it, Lucas? God, I trusted you! I thought that maybe, just maybe, you could actually love me for real. I thought that you would at least try to forget about Peyton!"

"I do love you, Brooke!"

"How many lies are you actually going to tell? Should I be keeping count?"

"Brooke, stop! I was only over here because she's my friend, too. I wanted to talk to her about things with you so I could fix them. I was just trying to get you back," Lucas pleaded.

"If you think that you can get me back by making out with Peyton behind my back, then you're wrong!"

"That's not what this was about! We were just talking! She needed to talk about Jake, and if you paid any attention to your best friend rather than how I'm cheating on you, you might actually know that she's going through a lot of shit right now. She really needs you, but you've been pushing her away! I was just trying to help her!"

"Is that true? She thinks I haven't been there for her?" Brooke brushed a tear from her eye.

"Yeah, Brooke, she needs you. She needs her best friend, not just a stand-in. Go talk to her," Lucas nodded towards the door.

"Thanks, Lucas. And I'm sorry for accusing you of cheating on me. I know you wouldn't do that," Brooke smiled and gave Lucas a kiss. She walked inside the house while Lucas walked toward his car. He quickly called Peyton and gave her the rundown of the lie they were telling. She agreed and as she was hanging up the phone, she said that she loved him. Lucas said it back.

"Hey, P. Sawyer. What's going on with you?" Brooke walked into Peyton's room.

"Jake just asked me today if I wanted to adopt Jenny, and I said no. And now I just feel guilty. I'm always there anyway, and Jenny really deserves a mom. I should've said yes," Peyton almost began to cry, thankful for taking that drama class in the seventh grade.

"Peyton, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. It's your choice and Jake shouldn't just expect you to be ready for that big of a step," Brooke said in a soothing voice.

"I guess you're right. But it just feels like he expected more of me. He thought that I wanted more with him, but I don't."

"Wait, are you saying you want to break up with Jake?"

"I don't know. I mean, not right away or anything. I just don't see him in my future."

"I understand. I thought I didn't see Lucas in my future, either, but this whole baby scandal has really made me see. I love him,"

"That's good, because he loves you so much Brooke."

"He does? I'm still mad at him, though, for his reaction to me not being pregnant."

"What happened?" Peyton asked, truly concerned.

"Well, he was just really happy when the doctor said the home test was inaccurate. I expected more out of him than that. He acted like he never cared about the baby. It was just hard to hear."

"He did care, Brooke. He wanted that baby, but you guys are young. I think he was just relieved that it wasn't now. But one day, he's going to want everything with you. I know it," Peyton smiled at Brooke, who smiled back.

"I'm so sorry, Peyton! I'm sorry I haven't been here. I've just been so caught up in holding onto Lucas, because I didn't want him to leave. But I've missed you," Brooke hugged Peyton.

"I'm so glad you came! I've been wanting to talk to you and now we finally got the chance."

"I'm always here for you."

"I know."

…

A/N: Sorry, but it's pretty short! I really need some more ideas, so let me know what you want to see happening! Also, thanks for all the reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

Peyton stared into Lucas' beautiful eyes. She felt like this was right and she knew she was ready for this step. She leaned in and kissed him. Lucas took the hint and knew what she was trying to tell him.

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked, surprised at her initiative.

"Lucas, I love you," Peyton said as she pulled him closer.

Then she woke up.

And the dream ended.

Peyton sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She looked straight ahead and saw Brooke sitting in her desk chair. That's when Peyton remembered that she invited Brooke to stay the night. A smile crept across her face because she was happy to see her best friend. She quickly pushed the dream out of her head.

"Hey, Brooke! How'd you sleep?" Peyton asked.

"The better question is how did you sleep?" Brooke crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I slept fine," Peyton answered, confused.

"I knew it," Brooke mumbled while standing up and grabbing her bag. She was headed out the door when Peyton called out to her.

"What's going on, Brooke?"

"What's going on is that you said 'Lucas, I love you' in your sleep! I can't believe you both lied to me," Brooke said angrily, not wanting to cry in front of Peyton. Brooke didn't want her to see how weak she was.

"It was just a dream! It meant nothing!" Peyton tried to reason with Brooke.

"It always means something, Peyton!" Brooke yelled.

"Nothing's going on!" Peyton yelled back, tears forming in her eyes.

"Would you please just tell me the truth?" Brooke's voice lowered, sounding raw and tired.

"Okay, fine! You're right! We've been kinda seeing each other behind your back, but I'm sorry! I never meant for this to happen, Brooke!"

"What, he fell on you? How could you not mean for it to happen?"

"We were gonna tell you!"

Brooke started crying, salty tears running down her cheeks and ruining her mascara. "It doesn't matter if you were gonna tell me, you still did it! God, I loved him, Peyton! I thought I was gonna have his baby! And you know what the worst part is? You've done this before!"

"I love him," Peyton said, her voice cracking.

"You love him? That's great, Peyton! Just great! I trusted you to at least be honest with me. That's what best friends are supposed to do! Tell the truth!" Brooke started walking down the steps. She reached the bottom and turned around, glaring at Peyton, who was still standing at the top. "And, God, Peyton, what about Jake? How could you do this to him and Jenny? He loves you! How could you possible hurt every single person who loves you? Oh, wait! Lucas loves you so you didn't hurt everybody!"

"Brooke, wait!" Peyton yelled.

"No, Peyton. I'm done waiting for you. I'm done being your friend," Brooke finished, turned on her heel, and walked out of the door.

Peyton sank to the floor of the top step. Her tears wouldn't stop. She sobbed until it hurt. She looked in the mirror and saw her eyes red and puffy. She knew she deserved it. She deserved all the harsh words Brooke had thrown at her. Peyton knew that she had ruined every relationship she had. And Lucas would probably hate her for telling Brooke about them. Peyton felt sick to her stomach with guilt. Her life was over.

…

Brooke wiped her tears as she drove away from Peyton's house for the last time. She was done with Peyton and her lying ways. She put both hands on the wheel and stared straight ahead. Brooke slammed the pedal into the floor. She was going to talk to Lucas and hurt him just like he hurt her. She hated him for taking advantage of her. Again.

She pulled up to the curb and turned off the car. She opened the door and realized she wasn't at Lucas' house. Brooke had unknowingly driven to Jake Jageilski's house.


	8. Chapter 8

Jake opened the door after a swift knock awoke him. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he found himself face to face with a teary eyed Brooke. Worry washed over him.

"Come in, Brooke! What's going on?" Jake pulled her by the elbow into his house.

"I'm sorry to jump on you like this. I just needed to talk to somebody," Brooke buried her face in her hands, embarrassed by her tears.

"Hey, you know I'm here for you. But why me? Why not Peyton or Lucas?" Jake said, holding her hands in his lap. Brooke stared at their tangled hands and felt a pang of something in her stomach. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was definitely something there. She looked up at his eyes, dark under his eyebrows that were knitted with concern. Before she realized what she was doing, she grabbed both sides of his face and pulled him into a passionate kiss. It lasted no more than five seconds but it had more spark than a fireworks show. Jake pulled away and searched for something in Brooke's eyes.

"Brooke, what is this about?" Jake still looked stricken by the sudden kiss.

"This is gonna suck to tell you. And I probably shouldn't even be the one saying it to you. But for some reason I drove here instead of to Lucas! That means something! I just have an instinct that you won't get told unless I say something now," she said, staring at her lap.

"Okay, you're scaring me."

"Peyton told me everything. She and Lucas have been sneaking around behind both of our backs," Brooke whispered, tears again pricking at the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, Jake! I really had no idea! And you shouldn't be hearing this from me! I just got nervous and had to let it out. I'll just go and let you call Peyton or whatever."

"Brooke, don't go!" he said and pulled her into an embrace. He stroked her hair. "I suspected there was something going on between them. I just wish Peyton would have broken up with me first."

"I'm so sorry! I was just so angry that it happened again that I had to come somewhere and let it out!" Brooke cried, feeling like an idiot.

"I guess that would explain the kiss!" Jake smiled at her.

"Ugh, I can't believe I did that!" Brooke felt like laughing for the first time all day.

"Don't apologize! It was nice. Unexpected, but nice."

"Look, I don't expect you to be nice to me. You should be angry! You cared about Peyton and she broke your heart!"

"I am upset! I think I loved her! And I'll talk to her in a day or so and get it all sorted out. But for now, I should probably worry about my kid. I should also be worried that I enjoyed that kiss so much." He smiled at her and left the room to attend to Jenny.

Once he was gone, Brooke felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She looked at the caller ID.

Lucas.

She let it go to voicemail and then dialed one. After entering her password, she listened to his pathetic message. "Look, Peyton just told me. And I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I never meant for you to find out this way! I shouldn't have done it! But I'm in love with Peyton! And I have been since we were freshman. And I'm sorry again about this and the bab-"

Lucas' voice was cut off by Brooke pressing seven and erasing the message. Erasing him. How could he seriously tell her that he loved Peyton? That means that every time he said it to her was a lie. Brooke didn't even shed a tear. She didn't care about Lucas Scott. She didn't care about Peyton Sawyer.

"Who was that?" Jake asked, returning with Jenny in his arms.

"Lucas, apologizing. I deleted it."

"Good for you. Hey, can you hold Jenny for a second? I gotta go get her food." Jake handed her over gently and Brooke took her.

She smiled down at the little baby girl and couldn't help but feel sad that she wasn't really pregnant. She couldn't help but feel sad that the boy who was supposed to be the father had another girl he loved. But even though the baby wasn't hers, Brooke felt like a mom holding her in her arms. This is what she had wanted all along. She wanted to feel like she mattered to somebody.


	9. Chapter 9

Lucas stared down at the words. He couldn't take his eyes off of the thousands of words that made up his completed novel. He had finally finished it. From the first chapter to the last, the story reflected his life as a Tree Hill Raven. There was his fight with Nathan, his friendship with Haley, his whirlwind romance with Brooke, his constant love for Peyton, his admiration for his mother and Whitey. It talked about how much he hated Dan for abandoning him and taking Keith's life. It revealed how he had always felt about Peyton Sawyer and explained why he hadn't finished it until now.

"_An Unkindness of Ravens_," Lucas whispered, a smile creeping across his face. He looked over at his bed and saw Peyton still asleep. This was all he had ever wanted.

There was a soft knock at the door. Lucas glanced at the door as Haley walked into his room.

"Woah! That's not your pregnant girlfriend in your bed!" Haley gasped.

"Some stuff has changed…"

"Like what? Nathan and I were only gone for a week!"

"Well, for starters, Brooke's not pregnant."

"Really? That still doesn't explain why your girlfriend isn't in your bed!"

"Peyton is my girlfriend," Lucas smiled.

"So you and Brooke are over?" Haley asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, she kinda found out that Peyton and I are still in love with each other."

"Well, it's about time! It was so obvious!"

"She hates me right now."

"Well, I would hate you, too! But I can't since you're my best friend."

Lucas laughed. "Hey listen, I finished it."

"You finished it! Let me read it!" Haley shouted.

Haley's loud shouts woke up the sleeping Peyton.

"Hey, Peyton! I heard the news about your new stud-muffin boyfriend!"

"Yeah, it's all a big mess right now. But do you want to hear the funniest part? Jake and Brooke are going out!"

"What?" Lucas and Haley both exclaimed.

"Yeah, Jake called me to help clear the air a little bit and he said he was happy being with Brooke."

"Wow, could this day get any weirder?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know," Haley sat down on the bed with a sigh. "I come back and all of a sudden, all of Tree Hill has changed."

…

Brooke held Jenny in her arms while Jake went out to run and errand. She didn't know how it had happened, but in only a few short weeks, she had fallen in love with both Jake and Jenny. She didn't want anything else for the rest of her life. But how could she tell Jake that?

Jake returned with a smile on his face seeing Brooke hold Jenny. He knew that he liked Brooke a lot, but somehow couldn't let go of the feelings he had for Peyton. He saw her in the hallways, holding hands with Lucas and smiling. She looked more beautiful now than he had ever seen her. He couldn't help but think it was Lucas making her look so pretty. She really loved Lucas and Jake couldn't help but wonder if Peyton had ever loved him.

"Hey, pretty girls! How was she while I was gone?" Jake asked.

"She was good, like always. She really is the perfect child," Brooke said, smiling down at her.

"Yeah, she is." They both stared down at the beautiful baby which made her smile and laugh. Brooke knew at that moment that she had to tell him how she felt.

"Jake, I love you," Brooke said, looking up at him.

"I love you, too, Brooke," Jake replied, surprised that she was already saying the L-word.

"But do you mean that? Look, I know that I love you, but I can't help but think you still have feelings for Peyton!"

Jake cupped her chin in his hand and stared straight into her eyes. "Whatever feelings I had for Peyton are in the past. She betrayed me and obviously loves Lucas. And I love you."

"Good, because I want to get married."

…

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks again for all the support I've gotten while writing this story. You guys are awesome! But I thought I should let you know that next chapter may be the last chapter, and if it's not, there will only be one more after that.**

**So be prepared because in two chapters or less, the story will be complete!**


	10. Chapter 10

Five Years Later

**Five Years Later**

Peyton Sawyer slipped the platinum band onto Lucas Scott's finger. She said the two words that sealed the deal on her marriage to him.

"Lucas, you may now kiss your bride," the commissioner said as Lucas pulled Peyton into a romantic kiss. "I now present Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Scott!"

Peyton and Lucas smiled as they looked out at their applauding friends and family. Everything had finally become right. Peyton looked at her bridesmaids, seeing Brooke and Haley looking stunning in their black gowns with a white sash around the waist. Brooke had designed them herself just for Peyton's wedding. Lucas looked to his left and saw Nathan and Jake, his groomsmen. So much had happened in the last five years.

Brooke and Peyton made up. They both decided that to lose their friendship over a guy was pointless and they had been friends for too long. After Brooke told Jake she wanted to marry him, he said that they should wait and she agreed. They quickly became closer and they were still together and very happy.

Nathan and Haley kept their marriage strong and were coming up on their sixth anniversary. Of course they had their bumps, but they couldn't be happier with each other.

Everyone gathered in the reception hall for a night of dancing. Lucas couldn't take his eyes off of his new wife in her simple white dress. He knew that they would be together forever and have a lifetime of happiness.

Nathan pulled Haley out of her chair and into his arms for a dance. He smiled down at her and felt thankful that their marriage was still going strong. She smiled, then turned away.

"Hey, baby, what's wrong?" Nathan asked, feeling her tense up. Haley pulled him aside.

Meanwhile, Jake and Brooke were sitting next to each other at the head table. Jenny had joined them and Brooke was gently playing with her hair. Jenny told them she wanted to dance and Jake told her to go ahead.

"Hey, I've been waiting to ask this until I was sure but I know now that I am."

"What?" Brooke asked, concerned.

"Will you adopt Jenny?"

"Jake, I would love to! You know that I already love her like a daughter!"

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that! I'm ready to start a life with you. I love you," Jake held Brooke's hands in his lap.

"I love you, too."

…

Nathan looked at Haley, scared at what she was going to tell him.

"What's going on, Haley?"

Haley stared at her hands. She looked up at her concerned husband's eyes. "I'm pregnant."

Nathan couldn't find the words to express his happiness. He broke into a huge grin and wrapped her into a hug. He twirled her around, lifting her off the ground. "We're gonna have a baby!"

"Yeah, I know!"

"Wow, there's a life in there!" Nathan said breathlessly, staring amazedly at her stomach.

"We should get back to the reception," Haley suggested. Nathan grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the dance floor. They passed Lucas and Peyton and told them the good news. They gave their congratulations and hugged the couple.

Lucas and Peyton started dancing, knowing everyone's eyes were on them. Lucas laughed.

"What's so funny?" Peyton asked.

"Nothing, I'm just happy. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'm glad this is official and I'm so ready to start a life with you. I couldn't be happier."

"Me too, Lucas. Me too."

**The End!!**

A/N: It's finished! Thanks again to all of you for reading and reviewing my first story and I'm already thinking of a new story to write so keep your eyes open! Thank you so much!


End file.
